


Two Duels

by FireOpal (Sandel)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Community: HPFT, Gen, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-04-19 08:59:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4740512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandel/pseuds/FireOpal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p></p><div class="center">
  <p>Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald fight two very different duels.</p>
  <p>---</p>
  <p>Written for the Game On Collab over at harrypotterfanfiction.com, as part of the 2015 House Cup.</p>
</div>
            </blockquote>





	1. Albus

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Great Deal of Bravery](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3178009) by [Sandel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandel/pseuds/Sandel). 



>   
>   
>  Banner by Enigma at The Dark Arts forums.
> 
> This is my second, and in my opinion better, take on the idea that also birthed 'A Great Deal of Bravery.'

Gellert jumped to his feet, laughing wildly.  
  
“There’s only one way to settle this,” he yelled, drawing his wand.  
  
Albus rose more slowly.  
  
“Well, if this is what it has come to, then Aberforth’s my second,” he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“And then Aberforth’s favourite goat is mine! They have about the same amount of magical skill, so it’s fair.”  
  
Albus couldn’t help laughing at this slight against his brother; Gellert’s enthusiasm was far too infectious. The two friends stepped into place, back to back. Albus resisted an impulse to lean back onto Gellert.

“On the count of three,” Gellert said. “We’ll count together.”

“All right, then,” Albus replied. “Prepare to be outmastered!”

“1…” The two young men took their first step away from each other.  
  
“2…” With the next step, they lifted their wands to casting position.  
  
“3!” At lightning speed they both whirled around, wands flicking and swishing.  
  
Albus’ tickling hex hit Gellert square in the chest. At first he thought Gellert’s returning blast of magic must have missed him, but then he saw something flesh-coloured move in his peripheral vision. He swung around, but whatever it was swung with him. Then, before Albus had time to react, the thing wormed its way around his arm like a large flesh-coloured snake, and Albus realised that it was his own elongated left ear. His yelp of surprised disgust was muffled by his right ear, which wrapped itself over his mouth like a gag. Soon his wand arm was pinned to his side, his hand flapping feebly.  
  
The ears had left Albus eyes free to see (and his nose free to breathe), so he could watch as Gellert rolled around in the grass gasping with laughter, panting “No, no, make it stop, oh Merlin, make it stop!” His wand lay a few feet away, useless.  
  
Albus watched as Gellert slowly and unsteadily managed to roll himself into the nearby stream. He disappeared beneath the surface flailing wildly. Panicked, Albus tried to take a step forward, but the only thing he accomplished was stumbling over his own ears and falling face down into the grass. Deprived of his line of sight, Albus instead tried to hear what was happening over in the stream, and as he was basically all ears, that went surprisingly well. The water must have counteracted the tickling hex, because Albus could hear Gellert splutter and gasp as he came up for air.  
  
Dripping wet and still laughing Gellert retrieved his wand and walked over to Albus. Albus felt droplets of water rain down on his back – or rather the parts of his ears that covered his back – as Gellert carelessly waved his wand over him. Then Albus’ ears slowly began to release him and return to their normal size and placement.  
  
Albus rolled over onto his back and smiled up at Gellert. He made no move to rise. Instead Gellert flopped down on the ground beside him.  
  
“I guess this means I win,” he said.


	2. Gellert

Both combatants knew that the first one to get a hit in at the other would win. That must be why Albus had surrounded himself in that glittering golden shield. Gellert could tell that keeping the shield up took a lot of Albus’ concentration, and that it slowed him down. Gellert himself trusted in his own agility and speed instead. Spells shot past him close enough that their force made his hair stand on end, but he jumped away laughing from each jet of red, blue, silver, red again…  
  
None of the jets were green.  
  
“Come now, Albus!” Gellert yelled from his perch on top of a large boulder. “You can do better than this! Drop that golden sham and fight like a wizard!”  
  
With a pop, Albus appeared at the foot of the boulder, orange light shooting out of his wand. Gellert vaulted down from the stone just in time to miss it. As he tumbled through the air he swung his wand arm in a wide arch, and fire shoot out in all directions. The fire ignited a nearby elm tree, but Albus stood untouched in the raging inferno, protected by his golden shield. It was a beautiful sight; in a moment of distraction Gellert decided to paint it some day, if he lived.  
  
Back on his feet, Gellert raised his wand again. Albus eyed it warily. They both knew the power of that wand, that it could break through Albus’ shield easily if Gellert only tried. Gellert suspected that Albus was desperate enough to be prepared to die just to take him with him, though. If Gellert made any sign as to trying to tear down Albus’ shield, Albus would probably drop it himself, and use all his remaining power to get one last blast at Gellert. And that blast would most certainly be green.  
  
Gellert hoped it wouldn’t come to that.  
  
Instead of shooting a curse at Albus, Gellert twirled on his feet and Disapparated. He materialised in the small wooden shed he’d dived behind when Albus first showed up and sent a jet of light towards him.  
  
The walls of the shed were plain, unvarnished wood. The only things inside it were an overturned wooden chair and an old broom – the sweeping, not the flying, kind. Gellert leaned against the wall, panting. He knew he only had a moment’s respite before Albus would be on him again.  
  
As he started to push himself away from the wall, he heard the soft ‘pop’ of Albus Apparating. He’d miscalculated how fast Albus could find him, and now he barely had time to get his wand at the ready before Albus was on him.  
  
Time seemed to freeze as they stood face to face, wands at each other’s throats, panting from exertion and fear. Then Gellert did the only thing he could do to make sure they’d both live. He lowered his wand.  
  
Albus' lips twisted into a bitter smile.  
  
“I guess this means I win,” he said.


End file.
